The short version: Most Union County decisions come down to the county permit file and the Lake Butler service line. Whether a lot already has its 911 address, driveway approval and septic letter, or sits on city water and sewer, changes what it costs to build or place a home. Near the Santa Fe and New River, the FEMA zone and an insurance quote come next. Settle those answers first; the price follows from them.
Four parts of Union County, four different files
- Lake Butler, inside and outside city limits
Inside the city, the City of Lake Butler's comprehensive plan, zoning atlas and development regulations decide what a lot can hold. Just past the line, the county comprehensive plan and zoning apply instead. Find the parcel on the right atlas before you price a lot for a particular use.
- Worthington Springs and the Santa Fe River
Worthington Springs sits on the Santa Fe River at the southern county line, where the New River joins it. The Suwannee River Water Management District has issued flood advisories naming the Worthington Springs gage. On riverfront or low parcels, the FEMA zone, floodway status and permit history outrank the view.
- Raiford and the New River corridor
The New River forms part of the Bradford County line. North of Lake Butler, the Raiford Wildlife Management Area straddles both counties along the river, is managed with the Department of Corrections, and opens only in part during hunting seasons. If a parcel adjoins it, confirm survey and legal access.
- Unincorporated acreage and homesites
Outside the three towns, the county comprehensive plan and zoning govern use, and the Union County Building Department issues the permits. Price rural land on legal road access, drainage, room for a well and septic system, and soil, then confirm the zoning allows the home type the buyer plans.
Four records that move a Union County price
- Elevation certificate before the power goes on
Union County's building and mobile home permit checklists require a flood data letter. In a flood zone, an elevation certificate from a state-certified engineer or surveyor is due before a certificate of occupancy issues and power is released. On river land, pull the FEMA zone and an insurance quote first, and ask whether a Suwannee River Water Management District floodway permit applies.
- Where Lake Butler water and sewer stop
The City of Lake Butler supplies water, sewer and garbage service to its residents. Union County's permit checklists accept either a City of Lake Butler sewer and water tap-in receipt or a septic permit or letter from the Health Department. Near the city edge, ask which one is on file. Outside city service, ask for well records and a recent water test.
- Agricultural classification resets at closing
The Union County Property Appraiser does not carry agricultural classification over to a buyer. You file your own application by March 1, and the appraiser looks at good-faith commercial farming use as of January 1, not at zoning. Ask the seller what the land produces now, and estimate your taxes without the classification until yours is approved.
- Split tracts need a parcel number, sometimes a road name
A homesite split from a larger tract needs a new tax parcel number from the Property Appraiser before the county will issue a building or mobile home permit, and a recent buyer brings the recorded deed. A house set more than a tenth of a mile from the nearest official road also needs its driveway or new road named for 911.
The county issues 911 addresses for emergency response and does not send them to mapping services such as Google or Apple, or to carriers. Owners must contact those services directly. On a newly addressed parcel, give buyers the parcel number and written directions.
How Union County sellers and buyers work with Mo from Wildwood
If you are selling land or a rural home in Union County, I want the county permit picture in hand before we set a price. A tract with its address, driveway approval and septic letter already on file is a different offer to a buyer than raw acreage with those steps still ahead. You get a price opinion built on your parcel and a written net sheet that itemizes estimated closing costs. Marketing then targets buyers shopping for what the property is: acreage, river frontage near Worthington Springs, or a lot in Lake Butler.
Listing appointments and showings in Lake Butler, Raiford or Worthington Springs are set by arrangement from my Wildwood office, and the records work happens before I make the drive. Before a buyer writes an offer on rural land, I want the survey, the flood zone, the Health Department septic records and the driveway status in hand, because each one can change what the land is worth to you. If the home will be your permanent residence, the homestead application goes to the Union County Property Appraiser by March 1.
Official Union County records and offices
These are the public offices that hold the parcel, tax, deed, permit and flood information for an address. Mo is not affiliated with them.
Run the numbers before you decide
Neighboring counties Mo serves
Questions people ask about Union County real estate
How far is Union County from The Villages?
From the south, SR 121 crosses the Santa Fe River at Worthington Springs and runs north through Lake Butler to Raiford. SR 100 also runs through Lake Butler and crosses the New River at the Bradford County line. Lake Butler sits about 82 miles from Mo's Wildwood office, measured in a straight line. Actual drive time varies with the roads you take and with traffic, so check a live map before you leave.
Does Mo Mufti work in Union County?
Yes. For a Union County parcel, Mo starts with the county Building Department permit file, whether the property is on City of Lake Butler water and sewer or on a well and septic system, and the flood zone plus Santa Fe River gage history near Worthington Springs. Sellers get a price opinion and a written net sheet built from that file, and meetings in Lake Butler, Raiford or Worthington Springs are set by arrangement.
Do Lake Butler parcels get permits from the city or the county?
From the county. The City of Lake Butler's building department works under the direction of the Union County Building Department, so permits run through the county either way. The city line still changes one piece of the file: inside it, the City of Lake Butler issues the flood data letter a permit needs, and outside it, the county Building Department does. Confirm which side the parcel sits on before you order that letter.
What permits does a new homesite need in unincorporated Union County?
The county Building Department's checklist for a house starts with a survey and legal description, a 911 address, a signed owner certification for the county's EMS and solid waste special assessments with proof of payment from the Tax Collector, a Health Department septic letter, a culvert permit or non-permit letter, and a county flood data letter. A mobile home adds a state-licensed installer. Applications can be filed online through Cloudpermit.
Who approves a new driveway onto a Union County road?
On a county road, you apply for a culvert permit and stake the driveway location. The county Road Superintendent inspects the site, sets the culvert's size, length and material, and inspects again after installation, which the owner pays for. On a state road such as SR 121 or SR 100, the culvert permit or letter saying none is needed comes from the Florida Department of Transportation instead.